In 2020, the US private equity and venture capital (PE/VC) indexes shook off first quarter declines to enjoy one of their best years ever, with returns in each quarter surpassing the previous one; for the year, the Cambridge Associates LLC US Private Equity Index® returned 27.8% and the Cambridge Associates LLC US Venture Capital Index® gained 50.1%. For PE, 2020 was the fourth-best year and for VC, it was the second.
Analyzing operating metrics can provide insights into the process by which private equity managers execute their strategy. This update to our annual report includes comparisons of private equity globally (roughly 9,600 companies in total) with public peers, as well as regional comparisons for approximately 5,000 US-based companies, more than 2,400 European companies, and more than 1,600 Asian companies acquired by PE firms from 2000 through 2019.
The Cambridge Associates LLC Developed Markets ex US Private Equity and Venture Capital (PE/VC) Index returned -1.5% in first half 2020 in USD terms after suffering significant losses (-10.8%) from the onset of COVID-19 in first quarter. The Cambridge Associates LLC Emerging Markets Private Equity and Venture Capital Index earned 4.7% due to a strong second quarter recovery of 11.4% and a modest pandemic-driven downturn earlier in the year.
First half 2020 was downright Dickensian (as in a “tale of two quarters”); first quarter returns were down as the COVID-19 pandemic began to close economies, while second quarter performance was strongly positive as public and private investments rebounded.
The 2020 Under the Microscope analysis highlights US PE industry trends leading into the COVID-19 crisis. The analyses indicate that 2019 was in many ways a continuation of the cycle of elevated acquisition and leverage multiples, with PE-backed companies showing sustained revenue and EBITDA growth.
With few exceptions heading into the COVID-19 crisis, the developed and emerging markets PE and VC indexes have handily outperformed their public market counterparts across time.
For calendar year 2019, US private equity and venture capital produced high double-digit returns, as indicated by the Cambridge Associates LLC benchmark indexes.
Insights into key metrics for private US real estate managers and how they have evolved over time.
For the first time, this update to our annual report includes comparisons of private equity globally (roughly 8,500 companies in total) with public peers, as well as regional comparisons for approximately 4,000 US-based companies, more than 2,000 European companies, and more than 1,200 Asian companies acquired by PE firms from 2000 through 2018.
For first half 2019, US private equity and venture capital produced double-digit returns, as indicated by the Cambridge Associates LLC benchmark indexes.